Brian Flores - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Brian Flores, Dolphins Divorce

January 11th, 2022 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a bit more than 24 hours since Brian Flores was canned in Miami, and we keep learning more about the divorce between the Dolphins and their former head coach. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has a number of nuggets about Flores’ firing. While the whole article is worth reading, we compiled some of the notable notes below.

For starters, Flores wanted full control over the organization, including roster decisions (over general manager Chris Grier). The head coach “wanted more power in everything” and “wanted more people to report to him,” and he wanted this decision-making distinction officially “formalized.” According to Jackson, Flores already had a great deal of control, and there wasn’t a single player on the roster who Flores didn’t sign off on. Still, tension remained between Flores and Grier.

Flores’ power grab went beyond the normal duties of a HC. According to Jackson, Flores requested the firing of the team’s top football media relations person. While he received push back from top executives (including president Tom Garfinkel), the employee was ultimately dismissed. Flores also chewed out an agent who posted a positive offseason update about an injured player.

Further, Flores planned on making more changes to his staff, especially with his offensive coaches. The Dolphins were operating with two offensive coordinators by the time the season came to an end, and Flores was planning on firing at least one of the two.

To top it all off, Flores apparently had issues communicating with some of his players, with some of the younger members of the team claiming that their HC “doesn’t understand dealing with men.” Meanwhile, veterans like Jason McCourty wouldn’t be treated with the “same heavy hand” as his younger teammates. There was also tension with QB Tua Tagovailoa, with the two having a heated exchange during their game against the Titans this season.

Latest Bears’ Head Coach Interview Requests

January 11th, 2022 at 3:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The second wave of interview requests has begun for the teams who let go of coaches and executives yesterday. The busiest of those teams, so far, is the Chicago Bears. In addition to the requests they made on Monday after firing Matt Nagy, another seven interviews have been scheduled for the Head Coaching vacancy.

Just as the Bears are interested in both Bills’ coordinators, they have requested to interview both Buccaneers’ coordinators, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). OC Byron Leftwich has held his title since 2019, where he reunited with HC Bruce Arians. Leftwich was in charge of the Super-Bowl winning Bucs offense last season, and has helped the unit put up the second most points per game (30.1) in the league in 2021. DC Todd Bowles also reunited with Arians in 2019 in Tampa Bay, and played a crucial role in the Bucs’ smothering defensive performance in that Super Bowl victory.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), another request was made to Colts DC Matt Eberflus, who has also been named as an interviewee with the Jaguars. After an impressive stint as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach from 2011-2017, Eberflus took the defensive coordinator position in Indy in 2018, and immediately helped turn that unit around.

Next on the list is Cowboys DC Dan Quinn (Twitter link via Pelissero). Quinn has since been linked with all four current Head Coaching vacancies, making him the most sought-after candidate so far. His work with Dallas’ defense in just one season – seventh in the league in points allowed per game, first in interceptions, to name a few statistics – has put him in line to get another HC gig one year after being fired by the Falcons.

Per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport, Doug Pederson will also be interviewed (Twitter link). Pederson was fired by the Eagles exactly one year ago, and has also been linked with multiple teams. The 2017 Super Bowl winner, like Quinn, seems to have a good chance at rejoining the Head Coaching ranks during this hiring cycle.

Another popular name is Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, whom the Bears will interview on Friday or Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). Breer notes that Hackett has also received requests from the Broncos and Jaguars, as the 42-year-old has overseen one of the league’s best offenses in Green Bay for the past two seasons.

Last, but certainly not least, recently fired Brian Flores has been added to the list of interviewees, according to Pelissero (Twitter link). After three seasons – including the last two with winning records – in Miami, Flores was let go in what has been the most surprising move of the coaching cycle so far. The Bears are not expected to be the only team interviewing the 40-year-old, though nothing has officially been lined up with any other clubs yet.

Dolphins Fire HC Brian Flores

January 10th, 2022 at 8:46am CST by Adam La Rose

‘Black Monday’ has seen its first surprising move of the day. The Dolphins have fired Head Coach Brian Flores, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

Flores, 40, took over as the Fins’ HC in 2019, compiling an overall record of 24-25. A 10-6 finish last year was the cause of a great deal of optimism for the future for the team, as they just missed out on the playoffs and were set to hand over the quarterbacking reigns to 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa.

2021 was a completely different story, however. After winning in Week 1, the team suffered seven straight losses and was seen as arguably the biggest disappointment in the league, given all the optimism heading into the season. In the midst of that skid, it was reported that Flores was on the hot seat. The mounting losses, along with a perceived lack of flexibility made some believe Flores wasn’t the most approachable of coaches.

Not long after, though, the team turned things around and won seven straight to get to 8-8 on the campaign. While they ultimately fell short of the playoffs with a 9-8 record, the fact that a potential tailspin turned into another winning season had many feeling Flores would be safe. Instead, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports that Owner Stephen Ross met with Flores on Monday before making the decision to fire him. He adds that the latter “didn’t always agree on key team decisions” with General Manager Chris Greer, but also that “there’s a widespread feeling of shock within the team”.

The Team Tweeted out a statement in which Ross said, “after evaluating where we are as an organization and what we need going forward to improve, I determined that key dynamics of our football organization weren’t functioning at a level I want it to be and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins. I want to thank Brian for his hard work and wish him nothing but the best in the future”. Schefter adds that Greer is safe for the time being.

Miami joins Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Denver, Minnesota and Chicago as teams in need of a new head coach for 2022.

Dolphins HC Brian Flores On Hot Seat

October 24th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins are mired in a five-game losing streak, and their disappointing defeat at the hands of the Jaguars in London last week has led to plenty of speculation about head coach Brian Flores‘ future in Miami. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Flores is indeed on the hot seat.

A 10-win effort in 2020 seemed to indicate that better days were ahead for the Fins, but Flores’ club has taken a major step back this year. Even last season, many players did not like Flores’ handling of then-rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa, who was yanked out of several games early in favor of veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. Of course, winning can ease a lot of tension, and while Tagovailoa has not been benched in favor of backup Jacoby Brissett this season — either in-game or otherwise — the 1-5 start to the 2021 campaign has intensified other issues in the Dolphins’ locker room.

For instance, Flores reportedly has a difficult time connecting with his players, and the constant overhaul of his coaching staff has also led to consternation. Said one source with direct knowledge of the situation, “[t]here is a really negative vibe down there right now. A lot of players do not trust (Flores). Flo thinks he is a player’s coach, with an open-door policy, but I know a number of players who would tell you they don’t really think he is approachable enough, or flexible.”

Many coaches who come from the Bill Belichick coaching tree unsuccessfully attempt to replicate Belichick’s business-like approach with the Patriots, and Flores — who coached under Belichick in New England for 11 years — is apparently no exception. La Canfora’s source added, “[t]here is still too much of that New England (stuff) going on. It just doesn’t work. There is a psychology to handling players and building a team, and you have to be able to connect and motivate. That’s not the vibe there. It’s pretty bad.”

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is concerned about the direction of his team, and he and Flores are rumored to be at odds over the potential acquisition of embattled passer Deshaun Watson. Obviously, Tagovailoa’s fate would be greatly impacted by a Watson deal, and while Flores has publicly endorsed Tagovailoa on several occasions, La Canfora says the third-year head coach and his staff have never really embraced the young southpaw.

If Miami is able to consummate a Watson trade, it does not sound like Tagovailoa would be part of the package heading back to Houston. La Canfora reports that clubs who have been connected to Tagovailoa in the past — a group that presumably includes the Texans — are not interested in acquiring him at this time.

Dolphins HC Brian Flores Endorses QB Tua Tagovailoa

August 31st, 2021 at 4:46pm CST by Ben Levine

With rumors persisting regarding a potential Deshaun Watson-to-Miami trade, Dolphins coach Brian Flores has made it clear where he stands on the matter. In a “brief but poignant” address to the team, Flores acknowledged the trade rumors and reiterated that Tua Tagovailoa is “our quarterback,” per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (on Twitter).

As the reporter notes, this information “isn’t intended to dispute recent reporting” regarding the Watson trade rumors. Rather, “it is a reflection of the moment,” with the head coach making it clear that Tagovailoa is the team’s intended starter moving forward. Darlington also speculates that Flores will continue “to echo a similar sentiment in the weeks to come.”

It was only earlier today that we heard Dolphins owner Stephen Ross “really wants” Watson in Miami. However, the Dolphins front office continues to balk at the trade price, and some pundits believe the organization may be angling to acquire the QB while his value is low amid legal uncertainty. On the flip side, other reporters noted that Ross believes in Tagovailoa and “doesn’t force football decisions.”

Flores said on Monday that the team wanted “high character throughout the building,” which many interpreted as him throwing cold water on the Watson speculation. Today’s private endorsement of Tagovailoa only reinforces that the head coach is a proponent of moving forward with the former Alabama star.

Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross ‘Really Wants’ Deshaun Watson?

August 31st, 2021 at 12:42pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There have been conflicting reports about the Dolphins’ level of interest in trading for Deshaun Watson, and now we may know why. It appears there may be something of a split in the organization, perhaps between ownership and the coaching staff.

Miami owner Stephen Ross “really wants” Watson, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweeted that he’s heard the same, although he writes that the Dolphins “have balked at asking price.” However, he thinks if the team “can get him at good value amid legal uncertainty, that would appeal to Ross.”

That’s not the case, according to sources who spoke with Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). Any word to the contrary “is inaccurate” because Ross believes in Tua Tagovailoa and “doesn’t force football decisions.”

Meanwhile, we just heard earlier this morning that the Texans won’t be trading Watson today, meaning they’ll be keeping him on their initial 53-man roster. Ross’ desire for the embattled quarterback could put him in conflict with head coach Brian Flores. Flores said on Monday that the team wanted “high character throughout the building,” which many interpreted as him throwing cold water on the Watson speculation.

Of course, the team has Tua Tagovailoa as their quarterback right now, and if a trade doesn’t materialize this will have proved to have all been an unwelcome distraction for Flores right before the start of the season.

Whatever the case, it’s interesting to know that ownership is apparently driving Miami’s pursuit of Watson. It’s a dynamic that threatens to throw a wrench in everything, and potentially lead to some messy fallout.

Dolphins Didn’t Plan On Stockpiling Picks

April 26th, 2021 at 10:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins’ have amassed an impressive collection of draft picks in recent years, but that’s not necessarily their modus operandi, head coach Brian Flores says.

“I wouldn’t say the goal is necessarily to accumulate first-round picks. I think it’s to put the best team together,” Flores said on the Dolphins’ Drive Time podcast. “I think there’s a variety of ways you can do that. Trade, free agency, waiver-wire transactions, obviously the draft. And I think Chris and his staff have done a great job of using all those different avenues to bring in players and I think we’ve brought players in through those variety of ways — I think we’ve used them all. But it’s to put the best team together, not necessarily a team full of first-round picks…We look through those different avenues to acquire players, that’s really always at the forefront.”

The Dolphins managed to rack up three first-round picks in 2020. On Thursday, after moving around the board, they’ll have two first-round choices at No. 6 and No. 18. And, thanks to their 49ers trade, they’re on course to have two top-32 picks in 2023.

In theory, the Dolphins could keep trading down to further strengthen their future arsenal. But, if Flores is to be believed, that won’t be their focus heading into the 2021 draft.

Flores: Tua Will Remain Dolphins’ Starter

December 27th, 2020 at 8:43am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins are now one win away from their first trip to the postseason since 2016, and they have Ryan Fitzpatrick (and a healthy dose of Raiders ineptitude) to thank for it. After Miami’s offense with QB Tua Tagovailoa under center stagnated throughout much of last night’s game against Las Vegas, head coach Brian Flores replaced the first-round rookie with the hirsute 38-year-old, and that sprinkling of FitzMagic was enough to pull out a last-second win.

Fitzpatrick completed nine of 13 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown in his limited action, and while much of that yardage came on a no-look prayer of a pass and a healthy run-after-catch from RB Myles Gaskin, the offense undeniably came to life with Fitzpatrick at the helm. That led most to assume that the veteran would start the Dolphins’ Week 17 game with the Bills next week.

But Flores said in his post-game presser that Tagovailoa remains the team’s starter and will get the call against Buffalo, as Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com was among those to report. “Tua is a young player,” Flores said. “He’s developing. He’s improving on a daily basis. He’s learning from these experiences. He’ll be better next week.”

Last night marked the second time in five games that Tagovailoa was pulled for Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter, and while Fitzpatrick wasn’t quite able to complete the comeback in Miami’s Week 11 loss to Denver, he got the job done against the Raiders. As a result, the Dolphins will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Bills next week.

Tagovailoa’s surface-level stats look decent enough — he has completed 65.1% of his passes for 10 TDs against just two interceptions — but most of his throws are dinks and dunks, and his 6.3 yards-per-attempt average is among the worst in the league. He will need to take more downfield shots to pull out a victory over the Bills, but if he should struggle, Flores has shown he will not be afraid to send in Fitzpatrick.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Newton, Bills

August 14th, 2020 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Dolphins for just 18 games, Minkah Fitzpatrick elaborated on the difference of opinion he had with his second NFL head coach. Brian Flores, per Fitzpatrick, preferred he play a hybrid strong safety/linebacker role and only tried him as a deep safety in one practice last summer. This only came after Fitzpatrick asked Flores to see more time in coverage, Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report notes. After the Dolphins’ Week 1 blowout loss to the Ravens, in which Fitzpatrick was used more in coverage — albeit after limited practice time as a deep safety in Flores’ scheme — the 2018 first-round pick asked for a trade. Flores, Dunne adds, attempted to convince Fitzpatrick he was a key part of Miami’s future. That did not end up working. The Dolphins traded Fitzpatrick to the Steelers, with whom he became an All-Pro, for a first-round pick that turned into tackle Austin Jackson.

“We had a difference of opinion in my skill set and what he thought I could do and what I thought I could do,” Fitzpatrick said, via Dunne. “It was going to get tough for me to show something to somebody they were choosing not to see. They didn’t give me the opportunity to show it, even though I had film that showed it. The losing and all that stuff? If I was put in the right position and we’re losing — because of decisions people made upstairs — it is what it is. I can only control how I play. That didn’t affect me at all. It was just a fact that I was being used the wrong way.”

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Shoulder and foot injuries helped lead Cam Newton out of Charlotte after nine seasons. But the former MVP quarterback said he is “full go” as he begins practices with the Patriots, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston notes. Newton, 31, sounded more cautiously optimistic about staying fully healthy, Perry writes, after being injured for much of the past three seasons. But going into the padded portion of New England’s training camp, Tom Brady‘s likely successor said he feels “amazing.”
Since Dolphins players reported to camp, Xavien Howard has landed on both the active/PUP list and the reserve/COVID-19 list. Howard underwent knee surgery in December. While Howard was running at the team’s facility this summer, per ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe, he does not figure to see much practice time before Week 1. This makes the standout corner’s availability for the Dolphins’ opener against the Patriots uncertain.
Another Dolphin uncertain for Week 1: Preston Williams. The Dolphins are easing their UDFA success story back into action after his ACL tear, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes, adding that Williams’ Week 1 status is in doubt. Williams went down in Week 8 last season, ending a strong start to his career. He caught 32 passes for 428 yards. With Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns opting out, Williams will be critical to Miami’s passing attack.
Formerly a key Bills wide receiver, Robert Foster now appears on the verge of being cut or traded. The third-year Bills wideout will need a strong camp to make the team, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Buffalo drafted Gabriel Davis in Round 4, and the rookie will join the recently re-signed Isaiah McKenzie as a backup to the team’s Stefon Diggs–John Brown–Cole Beasley starter trio. After Foster averaged 20 yards per catch as a rookie — in a 27-reception, 541-yard, three-TD season — he caught just three passes in 13 games last season.

Longest-Tenured Head Coaches In The NFL

May 16th, 2020 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Things move fast in today’s NFL and the old adage of “coaches are hired to be fired” has seemingly never been more true. For the most part, teams change their coaches like they change their underwear.

A head coach can take his team to the Super Bowl, or win the Super Bowl, or win multiple Super Bowls, but they’re never immune to scrutiny. Just ask Tom Coughlin, who captured his second ring with the Giants after the 2011 season, only to receive his pink slip after the 2015 campaign.

There are also exceptions. Just look at Bill Belichick, who just wrapped up his 20th season at the helm in New England. You’ll also see a few others on this list, but, for the most part, most of today’s NFL head coaches are relatively new to their respective clubs. And, history dictates that many of them will be elsewhere when we check in on this list in 2022.

Over one-third (12) of the NFL’s head coaches have coached no more than one season with their respective teams. Meanwhile, less than half (15) have been with their current clubs for more than three years. It seems like just yesterday that the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury, right? It sort of was – Kingsbury signed on with the Cardinals in January of 2019. Today, he’s practically a veteran.

Here’s the list of the current head coaches in the NFL, ordered by tenure, along with their respective start dates:

Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints): January 18, 2006
Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008
Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010
Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013
Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 2, 2014
Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings): January 15, 2014
Dan Quinn (Atlanta Falcons): February 2, 2015
Doug Pederson (Philadelphia Eagles): January 18, 2016
Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017
Doug Marrone (Jacksonville Jaguars): December 19, 2016 (interim; permanent since 2017)
Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers): January 12, 2017
Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017
Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017
Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears): January 7, 2018
Matt Patricia (Detroit Lions): February 5, 2018
Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018
Jon Gruden (Las Vegas Raiders): January 6, 2018
Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018
Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019
Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019
Vic Fangio (Denver Broncos): January 10, 2019
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins): February 4, 2019
Adam Gase (New York Jets): January 11, 2019
Bruce Arians (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 8, 2019
Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins): January 1, 2020
Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
Joe Judge (New York Giants): January 8, 2020
Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020